Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-07-27

healthy and permanent revival OF all
our interests, not the feverish specula-
ton and spasmodic movement which
enthusiastic people are proclaiming un-
der the name of the New South.
Where good separate schools-as in
cities-are possible, it will then, for the
present, at least, be wise to continue
them but where they are manifestly
impossible, and when, in consequence,
the children are growing up in igno-
rance, it would seem to be the height
of folly to insist upon them.
But while thousands, while the great
majority, will at first Indignantly scout
the idea of mixed schools and oppose
them in toto, there are yet many who
will object to them mainly from the
fear that their children would be de-
moralized by mixed schools. The fear
is worthy of consideration. Let us ex-
anime 1t. Before proceeding further
We must bear in mind that the higher
| grade of society influences the lower
much more than the lower influences
the higher. Each exerts some influence
upon the other; but the abler, the
| greater, the better, the richer one is,
the greater is his influence on his infe
riors. In mixed schools the higher
white children will be less liable to re-
ceive injury from the lower black chill
| dren than will the lower black children
be to derive great benefit from the in
huence of the white children.
n - l,n ot I. 80 Il
izing influence in another light. 1t can
not be supposed that decentralization
from contact with the negro begins and
ends with mixed schools for if the as
sociation of mixed schools necessarily
demoralizes then all association with
the blacks must in like manner demor-
alize the whites.
Now it cannot be denied that all
southern whites of thirty years of age
and upward have been subjected to very
intimate negro influence. Generally
the first to receive us from the doctors
hands has been negro nanny many
Of us have been sucked by negro
women, and all have been nursed 10y
them. Up to the age OF ten we saw as
much, perhaps more. of the nanny
than we did of the mother and we
loved her quite as we'll The nanny
taught us tirss to talk, played with us,
dried our tears, soothed our sorrowing
hearts, told us stories, and nursed us
tenderly and faithfully in sickness and
when death took a child away she min
gled her tears without reproof with
those of the mother; and many of MS
received our earliest and most lasting
religious impressions from her lips.
The mother might grow weary and give
out but the faithful nanny seemed
never to tire, but was always patiently
and lovingly at her post And when
her summons to go up higher came we
laid her tenderly to rest. And all
through the South, and wherever else
sOutherners find themselves, the NAM
my holds tender and a grateful place
in the memory.
Remember now that this nanny and
these nurses were negroes, that they
had the natures of negroes, and the vir-
tues and the vices of negroes and re-
member, too, that they had unre-
strained access to our tender hearts and
impressionable minds when, if simple
association in mixed schools is demoral-
izing, they must necessarily, and in
spite of themselves, have demoralized
their infant charges.
Then, too, as children up to twelve
or thirteen years of age, We played with
negro children, went hunting and fish
ing with them, gathered berries and
nuts together, climbed the same trees
and threw down cherries and apples to
the girls and the little boys whose legs
were too short to grasp the trees. Now
these were negro children, but with
greater vices because they did not en-
Joy the eleyating and refining influence
bf the masters family: and If associl-
tion in mixed schools necessarily de-
moraliZes them, these negro children,
from their friendly and intimate inter
course with the white children, must
have greatly demoralized them.
ndduring youth and early manhood,
until We left the paternal roof, we wero
thrown continually with negroes in the
house and in the field and plantation
We had them for body servants, and
they were constantly with us and if
simple association in mixed schools de-
moralizes, then they must have demor-
allied us with their low tastes and de
PRAYED suggestions f; for by this time
their negro natures had become con-
frmed in all their evil ways, and they
were all the better able to depraye their
young masters.
There is, therefore, no doubt that
there has been abundant opportunity
to demoralize all of us who are thirty
years Of age and upward, and the ques-
ton now is {: Have we been demoraliZed |
by all this intimate and dunrestrained as |
soclation with the blacks? What signs |
do we show of this decentralization |
Southern whites are too prone to take |
the redress of grievances into their own |
bands, and they value human life too |
lightly but are these characteristics |
owing to the demoralizing Influences Of |
the negro ? Hardly for similar traits |
are always observable i'll new parts OF |
the country where there are no negroes.
Or can we trace any of our other quail
ties, good or bad, to demoralizing ne
gro influences? We think not. We |
think that the southern whites are main
ly what they are entirely Independent
of such influences. We can now see the
truth of simple fact that influence de-
scends and does not ascend, that tho !
Io,rox oro -, ,Nuano.J apI ,,olJoJ br A.
higher and not the higher by the lower
exemplited in our experience We were
not demoralized because we were
higher we were not nodded by the |
negro because he was the lower
Mixed schools will, therefore, never
demoralize white children.
Levy En- Route TO Richmond.
Captain G.. III. Epps, acting Chief Of |